Denise Young - Piano: NEWS & RADIO AIRPLAY

THE MUSICIANS ON THIS RECORDING ARE OF THE BEST IN THE WORLD.
HERE IS A SHORT STORY ABOUT EACH ARTIST.

To have WILL ACKERMAN’S presence as a producer and guitarist is a true blessing. His gift of guidance and passionate inspiration began months before this studio recording. I am fortunate to say that Will and his guitar are together on three tracks of this project; Green Mountain Meadows (track 3), Why (track 9), and a guitar lead on The West River (track 10). As many know, a contagious passion seems to run through him. And as Winston Churchill said it, "Before you can inspire with emotion, you must be swamped with it yourself. Before you can move their tears, your own must flow. To convince them, you must yourself believe."

EUGENE FRIESEN, on cello, displayed such a great chemistry with the music. His bow seemed to soar over the strings, pulling tears from our eyes as he played his very first improvisation with You Were Always There, track 6. In addition to Eugene’s exceptional talent and sound, he is a graduate of the Yale School of Music. He received a Grammy Award as a member of the Paul Winter Consort in 1994, and has worked with such diverse artists as Dave Brubeck, Toots Thielemans, Betty Buckley, Anthony Davis, and Will Ackerman.

JILL HALEY is a classically trained oboist/ English horn player with a great innovation for melody and her clear sound is rich with feeling. She is a founding member of ONE ALTERNATIVE, a trio of 2 guitarists and an oboist, who perform original music. Their six albums have received international airplay. Jill shared her virtuosity on two tracks; the opening track, Time Alone and I’ll Smile, track 7. Will's guidance as a producer, inspired me to add/write a a new part in the studio for I’ll Smile. This waltz-like section occurs near the middle of the piece giving Jill and her English horn the freedom to move melodically into another realm and then gently return to the main theme.

DERRIK JORDON has the rhythm for just about anything. He played percussion for tracks 4, 8, 9, and 11, adding an interesting and supportive texture to the music using, shakers, brushes on wood, the triangle, and a skin drum called a djembe. Derrik is a member of Simba, Tony Vacca and World Rhythms, and Natural History. Among is many achievements is a 2nd place award from the USA songwriting competition and a 1st place award in the Gospel category.

CORIN NELSEN, is a superb guy and truly talented engineer, for which he won a Grammy in 2004. During the many hours in the studio, it was such a pleasure to work with Corin and have such a smooth flowing project because of his expertise at the board, creative ideas, and excellent way of communicating with the artists and the producer, Will Ackerman at Imaginary Road Studios.

STEVE SCHUCH, on violin, added so much expression and precision the two tracks, Falling Leaves and Why. There is a certain energy in the song, Why that is so well conveyed through Steve’s violin (along with the other instruments). Steve has received many awards for his violin playing, compositions, and has won five fiddling championships. His recordings with The Night Heron Consort are national bestsellers on the North Star Label.

DAVID WEISS, on clarinet, adds a bit of the Benny Goodman sound to his smooth facility and beautiful style, creating a feeling of dreaminess to Something You Dream Of... which I was inspired to write while watching The Benny Goodman Story. David’s bio includes “Felicity: An American Girl Adventure" Score by Chris Hajian (American Fife, Piccolo, Flute, pennywhistle, clarinet), "Why We Fight" Grand Prize Winner Sundance Festival 2005. Score by Robert Miller, RMI (Wood Alto Flute, Bass Flute, Wood Flute) release spring 2006, and guest artist on Phil Collins' new solo album release summer ’06).

NOAH WILDING uniquely colors the music with her angelic yet in the groove vocal style on track 11, Autumn Colors. This is a dreamy piece of music, inspired by Will's ideas to use a two chord bass line with a melodic improv, like Bill Evans, combined with a bit of a gymnodpedie feel. Noah puts her whole self into the music, creating natural effects in her voice with her graceful movements. Her illustrious voice and creative improvisation is on many celebrated recordings.

T-BONE WOLK, the bassist, transforms the sounds of what we normally expect from an electric bass into a very melodic instrument over which the music seems to glide, as if he is the wind beneath the music. He appears on Green Mountain Meadows (track 3), I’ll Smile (track 7), Love Will Light The Way (track 8), Why? (track 9), and Autumn Colors (track 11). T-Bone has this great ability to transform his bass into a very melodic instrument, yet continue to be a cornerstone of the music. T-Bone is the bassist for Hall & Oates (since ’81) and shares his talent with Carly Simon, Shawn Colvin, Elvis Costello, Roseann Cash, Cyndi Lauper, and the list continues…

“A Sense of Place”
In searching for the words to describe my experience at Imaginary Road, I found the words in a most curious place…In making a cup of tea the other day and reading the side panel, the awareness came to me that the writer, Todd Runestad, expressed the words so suitably. He wrote, “Some landscapes whisper, like lonely roads and quiet conversations. The ecstatic leap of mountains fills our blood with a triumphant confidence. The fold of a headland over a wide ocean gives rise to transcendent thinking…to possibility and nuanced thought. The sense of opening awareness close to riverbanks, indeed, the bustle and din of a cavernous city-these ineffable surroundings give our lives comfort and context. We can love passionately, but how much, I wonder, of our life’s reflection is whispered to us from the distance of valley floors and high chilly winds? Places we’ve never been or only imagined color our notions of place, while landscapes live outside our door and call to within or souls.”

Creating, recording, and working at Imaginary Road Studio offered me “a sense of place”.

DENISE'S MUSIC CAN BE HEARD AT THE FOLLOWING RADIO STATIONS:

Radio Station City State / Country
KBBI Homer AK
KCAW Sitka AK
KNOM Nome AK
KUAC Fairbanks AK
KTOO Juneau AK
KMXT Kodiak AK
KRBD Ketchikan AK
KUAC Fairbanks AK
KASU Jonesboro AR
BLU FM Blackheath (NSW) Australia
KXCI Tucson AZ
Radio Mir Minsk Belarus
KZYX Willits CA
Pagan Radio Network Visalia CA
KMUD Redway CA
KCPR San Luis Obispo CA
KVPR Fresno CA
Celestial Reasonings Talmage CA
KCHO Chino CA
KCSN Nortridge CA
KVMR Nevada City CA
Vision Radio.US Sacramento CA
DMX Los Angeles CA
KRCB Sebastopol CA
KSBR Dana Point CA
MUSICMATCH San diego CA
Private Label Radio Pasadena CA
KHSU Arcata CA
KUSP Santa Cruz CA
Sky.FM Solo Piano Sherman Oaks CA
DMX Music Los Angeles CA
Pandora Oakland CA
Spectrum Radio Belgrave Canada
California 103 Calgary (AB) Canada
CKUW Winnipeg (MB) Canada
Galaxie Toronto (ON) Canada
MAX Trax Calgary (AB) Canada
KSUT Ignacio CO
KDUR Durango CO
KRFC Fort Collins CO
Music Beyound Words Denver CO
KAFM Grand Junction CO
KDNK Glen Wood CO
KFMU Steamboat CO
KVNF Paonia CO
WKZE Sharon CT
WWUH West Hartford CT
WMNR Monroe CT
WJZW Washinton DC
WVUD Newwark DE
WFCF Saint Augustine FL
WUFT Gainesville FL
New Age Rhythms Braedenton FL
WFIT Palm Bay FL
WBCX Gainesville GA
KEAO Maui HI
KKCR Kapaa HI
KEAO Makawao, Naui HI
KKCR Hanalei HI
KEAO Haiku HI
KKCR Kilauea HI
Smooth Piano & Keyboard Kailua HI
The Smiling Ear Hilo HI
SLOR Ridderkerk Holland
Radio Rijnwoude Hazerswoude Holland
KTPR Fort Dodge IA
KCCK Cedar Rapids IA
KBSU Boise ID
WDBX Carbondale IL
WDCB Hazel Crest IL
Radio Kansas Hutchinson KS
KRBB Wichita Falls KS
High Plains Public Radio Garden City KS
KRSC Berea KY
New Age Reporter Jefferson LA
KEDM Monroe LA
WTUL New Orleans LA
KRVS Lavayette LA
WMFO Gloucester MA
Nightscapes Duxbury MA
WOMR Provincetown MA
WUMB Squantum MA
WICN Shrewsbury MA
BostonPete.com Weymouth MA
WMHB Solon ME
WERU East Orland ME
WRBC Waterville ME
RADIOnuages Las Cumbres Mexico
WNMU Marquette MI
WIAA Interlochen MI
WNMC Traverse City MI
All Media Guide Ann Arbor MI
PianoWorldRadio Cusago MI
KMSU Mankato MN
KUMD Duluth MN
KRCU Cape Girardeau MO
KOPN Columbia MO
KCOZ Point Lookout MO
KCUR Kansas City MO
KUMR Rolla MO
WUSM Jhattiesburg MS
KGPR Great Falls MT
Montana Public Radio Missoula MT
WFAE Charlotte NC
WQFS Greenboro NC
WSGE Dallas NC
WPVM Asheville NC
KZUM Lincoln NE
WSCS E. Andover NH
WKNH Gilsum NH
WDVR Sergeantsville NJ
KENW / KMTH Portales NM
Mystic Soundscapes Abbuquerque NM
KBAC Santa Fe NM
KGLP Gallup NM
Music Choice New York NY
WVKR Fishkill NY
WFAS North White NY
WHPC Glen Cove NY
XM Satellite Radio New York NY
Finger Lakes Music Showcase Geneva NY
WAER Syracuse NY
WFIT New York NY
Clear Channel New York NY
Muze Inc. New York NY
WJFF Jeffersonville NY
WSKG Binghamton NY
WXXI Rochester NY
Sirius Satellite Radio New York NY
WJCU University OH
Adagio Radio Columbus OH
WRMU Alliance OH
WDPS Dayton OH
WYSO Dayton OH
Seascapesmusic North Canton OH
KBOO Portland OR
KEOL La Grande OR
FAIRadio.net Portland OR
KLCC Eugene OR
WSYC Shippensburg PA
WXPN Wynewood PA
WESS Stroudsburgh PA
WQLN Erie PA
WYBF Springfield PA
Music Sojourn Gibsonia PA
WHUM Nazareth PA
WVIA Pittston PA
RFI Romania Bucharest Romania
Muzak Fort Mill SC
Muzak Library Fort Mill SC
KESD Brookings SD
Radio Beckwith Luserna San Giovanni Spain
Radio Despi Barcelona Spain
Radio Ilberis Spain
WUMR Memphis TN
WAWL Hixson TN
WUTC Harrison TN
KACU Abilene TX
KOOP Austin TX
Skyfm New Age Wichita Falls TX
KACU Abilene TX
KOCV Odessa TX
KTEP La Porte TX
WOEZ Knoxville TX
Spirit Within New Age Lubbock TX
KRCL Salt Lake City UT
KZMU Moab UT
KSUU Cedar Rapids UT
KAOS Olympia WA
Muzak Seattle WA
KPBX Spokane WA
KSER Everett WA
PlayNetwork Redmond WA
DMX Seattle WA
WWSP Stevens Point WI
WMSE Port Washington WI
WXPR Rhinelander WI
WWSP Stevens Point WI
WOJB Hayward WI
WPNE Green Bay WI
WVMR Dunmore WV
WWVU Morgantown WV
KCWC Riverton WY